Many people struggle to lose weight. They often try to lose weight with low-calorie and low fat diets. Any plan where a dieter severely limits food will yield some results. But the weight loss may be achieved haphazardly and may go hand in hand with muscle loss. Because of hunger pangs they may also be tough to maintain.

The ketogenic diet, meanwhile, is a kind of diet plan that concentrates on ultra-low carb meals. It aims to prevent weight gain by making the body lose fat, but at the same time, maintain muscle mass. All this whilst you feel satisfied and no longer suffer from hunger.

For this diet to be effective, you need to reach a state of ketosis. To do this you must get rid of nearly all of the present carbohydrates in the body. The body will then depend on the reserved carbs left for energy when all carbohydrates are removed from the diet. As soon as the carb reserves are depleted, the body turns to use fat reserves as fuel.

Achieving ketosis, though, can be a challenging endeavor for a dieter. The initial days into the keto diet, or any diet that is aimed to encourage ketosis, will eventually lead to muscle fatigue and sluggishness. This state also known as keto flu is not pleasant, but will only last for a few days.

Once you reach a state of ketosis your body finds homeostasis or balance and the fatigue and weariness fade out. The challenge here is then to remain in ketosis. If you happen to consume too much carbohydrates, your body leaves the ketogenic state.

Hence it is advised that you start the first stage of the ketosis diet once more to attain the state. Here are some tips on how to stay in ketosis.

Get rid of foods rich in carbs

To reach a ketogenic state, you should cut down on your carbohydrate intake. Limit your consumption of carbs to below 20 grams per day and at an absolute maximum of 50 grams per day.

The majority of individuals consume an average of 300 grams of carbohydrates per day, so the sugar that is acquired from the consumption of carbs sets up their energy resource.

To assist your body in shifting to a fat-burning approach, get rid of all bread, grains like cereals, rice, granola, pasta, sugary desserts, jams, syrups and sweet drinks, baked products, vegetables with plenty of starch like potatoes, corn, fruits, and certain dairy products like milk and yogurt.

Restrict your carbs

We are so indoctrinated to eat lots of carbohydrates, that it is a massive change to swap away from grains and starchy vegetables to low carb veggies. To stay below 20 grams of carbs each day stick to green leafy vegetables like kale, spinach and lettuce, cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts. Eat salad vegetables, like cucumber and green peppers.

The majority of vegetables with zero starch have less than 5 grams of carbohydrates per cup. However, the carb content will differ among these vegetables. Observe your carb intake to remain within the limits of the diet.

You can also enjoy nuts, but remember even though they are an excellent source of fat, depending on the type of nut, they also have carbs. To see which nuts are best, check out this Best and Worst List by The Diet Doctor.

Be careful of dairy. Milk really is a no no and so is yogurt. Cheese has carbs, but it varies between the different types of cheeses. Here you can see how much carbs there are in an ounce of the different types of cheese.

Regulate your protein and high-fat consumption

Apart from vegetables with no starch, every meal must also contain a controlled serving of protein and great quantities of fat. For a majority of individuals who diet, one serving with 4-6 ounces of protein is proper, even though the serving might have to be modified based on the weight, height and activity level of the dieter.

Protein can be found in eggs, meat, poultry, fish, seafood and cheese. With every meal, you can supplement with 1-2 teaspoons of butter, high-fat, low-carb mayonnaise, high-fat, low-carb dressing for salads, and olive oil or coconut oil. If you want to maximize your fat consumption, you can do so by adding food items like fatty meats, bacon, or avocados.

Conclusion

A good ketogenic meal plan should include 1-2 cups of non-starchy vegetables, 4-6 ounces of protein, and 1-2 tablespoons of fat per meal. As for the snacks, you can keep them low in terms of carbohydrates by consuming olives, hard-boiled eggs, canned tuna, or hard cheeses.

Nuts and nut butters are also recommended as snacks, or as a side dish for main meals. However, they must fit into your total carbohydrate plan.

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